Challenge: Mihawk
by therealebonygoddess
Summary: Sophie finds herself before a pack of Humandrillz. When she feels all hope is lost, Mihawk comes to her aid, mistaking her for his long lost wife. Now she has to pretend to be this "Yuki" until she finds a way to return to her world, but she soon realises that cooking and cleaning is not all Mihawk expects from his wife ;)
1. Prologue

So! Hi guys!

We've got a little something here... Something you can JOIN IN :) To explain... This is a challenge fic, just for fun, no competition.

First off, WE is maybelady and me. We are working with the same OC and a few set plot points. Then we let this collide with a one piece character and see what'll happen.

So now our INVITATION: send either one of us a pm that you wanna be part of this and then include a character. Best of course if you know that one very well.

We UPDATE every Sunday. Today isn't Sunday you say? You are right ;) But it's the first week, so we'll give you a treat. Two chapters now and a third on Sunday :) Have fun!

* * *

Her eyes scanned the large map before her. Searching for the room she was meant to be in was such a tedious task. Why was her university built like a maze?

"You can never go wrong with right!" she told herself a little too enthusiastically –completely giving up on reading for directions. The only words she understood were numbers. She turned right and walked down the corridor with an idiotic grin on her face, "I'm almost there."

Anyone else would have known it was a lie, but there was no one else. Just her. Her father had dropped her off at the university long before anyone else because he had to go to work rather early. Something about a corporal law case he was working on.

She noticed that she was in the Science department, though most of the lights were still off. One of the rooms had a light on, so she decided to enter. It was the Physics lab. The Science department was in the opposite direction of where she was meant to be, so she decided it was best to ask for directions.

She stood at the door knocking so hard it opened on its own.

"Hello?" she called out as she entered cautiously, "anyone in here?" She looked around the lab. Everything was fascinating. She placed her suitcase down and began to admire the different mechanics. Her backpack with her snacks and medicine for the Applied Mathematics trip remained on her back as she continued on.

She heard a weird sound coming from the wall behind and went to take a look. When she got there, she found a black hole that seemed to be an abyss leading nowhere. The sound seemed to be coming from inside the hole. Curious to see what was inside, she stuck her head in.

Before she could see anything, she was sucked into the dark vortex.


	2. Day 1: New World

Darkness. That was the first thing she saw. Only a few seconds ago, the sun had barely risen, yet now it had set once more. Sheets of rain fell from the dark sky, the night black as soot. The moon and stars gave no radiance, making walking impossible. She knew not where she was or where she was going, which proved to be a disadvantage to her.

She looked around for shelter, her body drenched. Her eyes wandered around searching for a sign of light, the silhouette of a building, anything at all. The more she explored, the more she got lost. Before she knew it, she had reached a place the already weak moonlight could not penetrate through. Tired, she decided to rest against a tree as she caught her breath.

Using the leaves to protect her from the rain, she wondered how it had ended up like this. All she had wanted was a trip to a place where the sun always shined, yet due to a cruel twist of fate she had found herself in a rainy forest, awaiting death. She would have called for help if her phone had not been sent away to get fixed.

A weak smile crossed her face when she realised she was truly alone. There was no Rebecca to make her laugh, mother to dote on her or a father to bark orders at her. She had been told that solitude was bliss, but there was nothing bliss about sitting alone on a muddy ground. She banged the back of her head against the tree she was leaning on as she thought of what to do. She was great at brainstorming and problem-solving, but she was unable to bring herself out of this mess.

When she felt that all hope was lost, she heard a sound that she knew well –a sound that had once echoed in the physics lab. Excited, she stopped grovelling in the dirt and ran towards the sound. The closer she got to the sound, the more aware she became of her surroundings. Now that she knew she was not alone, she had some consolation.

There was a faint smell of death lingering in the air. The very soil she was running on had soaked its fair share of blood. Everything about the forest screamed danger and it was a relief to be leaving the place once and for all. The sound grew louder and louder. It sounded like a crowd of people walking on a wet path. Filled with an overwhelming desperation, she reached the edge to find no human in sight.

She gasped in utter horror. Eyes narrowed, lips smashed shut, throat dried up and somehow the cat had got her tongue. A troop of armed baboons were marching down with a murderous intent in their beady eyes.

Her breathing became more controlled. Though they were a distance away, she could not take any chances. Her backpack that had her medicine, which she was now holding in her hand, slipped out of her grasp. When she reached out to get it, she tumbled down with it. Just her luck, she landed right in front of the leading baboon. It looked at her and began to punch its chest as if to exert its dominance.

Adrenaline began to rush through her veins as her body told her to flight. She tried to move, but her stubborn legs would not let her. In the end, she began to slowly drag her body backwards with the use of her hands and at the same time avoiding any unwanted attention. All she had to do was tumble down some more and she would be far from them. The baboons blocked every possible escape route as the leader swung it's sword at her. She closed her eyes, whispering her last prayer.

A deafening silence engulfed her as she opened her eyes. The all so brave baboons were looking at something behind her. From their expressions, she could tell it was another predator. Her breathing quickened as she realised that her fate had been sealed. She was not going to face another day.

After gathering all the strength she had left in her, she turned to face the animal that was going to claim her life only to find a man. She could not see his features well. All she was able to spot was that he had a dark hat on his head and a large sword on his back.

His gaze dropped to take a better look at the one who had been foolish enough to come to his island. Her features struck his very core. She had pale green eyes and obsidian hair that flowed down to her shoulders like a mighty river. There was no mistaking it. It was Yuki.

Once he took a step forward, the baboons began to retreat. He picked up her backpack and placed it on his shoulder, his eyes never moving from hers.

"Yuki?" the man called out, a confused look on his face, "...what are you? How? I bu-"

'Was this another manifestation of his mind?' he thought as he cupped her cold wet cheek in his warm hand. Without saying another word, he gently removed the hair sticking to her face and pulled her closer, "I missed you."

She felt his shaky lips against hers, before he pulled away and looked at her again. She had wished to push him away, but she was too weak to do such a thing. Her cheeks heat up as she relived the kiss once more. She dared look into his eyes and without realising thought out, "you have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen."

A smile crossed his face as he lifted her in his arms. There was no mistaking it. This was Yuki. She had returned to him. He had no doubt in his mind now. Only Yuki would say that line.

He abruptly stopped and looked into those pale green eyes again. He bit his lip, trying to hold back the floodgates of his tears. Sophie watched him as he leaned it to steal yet another kiss from her, "I never stopped loving you-"

Sophie's eyes widened as she felt a tear fall onto her cheek, or was it the rain? She watched as his lips curve into a smile "...my wife."


	3. Day 2: Kuraigana Island

**IMPORTANT! IF YOU DON'T READ YOU'LL GET CONFUSED LATER ON:**

Mihawk is 29 and Sophie is 23. Mihawk married Yuki 3 years ago and a year after Yuki was said to be dead, but her body was never Found. So basically:

4 years ago wedding

They have one year happy marriage

She "reappears" after having been gone for 3 years

Do say so if you need me to clarify.

* * *

"Wait," she whispered in a moan, her voice shaky, "I'm not ready."

He looked into her eyes as her gaze moved away from his. He felt her nervous hands grab onto his shirt with uncertainty. The innocence that had once made him fall in love with her was in her eyes. It was almost like their first night together all over again.

Cautiously, he got on top of her, wondering what had happened to his love when they were separated. How had she managed to stumble upon his island with no boat after she had been deemed dead just over three years ago? His heart shattered when he thought of the trauma she must have gone through without his protection.

His hand began to caress her terrified face as he wondered what she was thinking at the moment. Was she feeling what he was feeling? Did her body yearn for him? Was she also aching to feel his touch like he was aching for hers?

"Yuki..."

His voice was low and calm. He had many questions to ask her, but they now had eternity and beyond for those. All he could think of now was becoming one with his wife. He wanted to feel her warmth, her love. He wanted to feel her burning passion once again.

Unable to hold it in any longer, he ripped open her top, exposing her beautiful milky skin. He watched as she squirmed around, covering her chest with her hand as well as avoiding eye contact. Amused by her behaviour, he noticed her looking at him from the corner of her eye and he let out a chuckle.

"I had almost forgotten," he grinned as he removed his own shirt, "You never got naked unless I did first. You haven't changed a bit Yuki."

He stood bare before her as her heart pounded in her chest. He took her hands and admired what he saw, "they're still really tiny."

Sophie blushed and looked away. Embarrassed was not even the word for what she felt at the moment.

"...I like them just the way they are."

He pulled her up to him, wrapping her legs round his waist. Before she could say anything, he kissed her as he removed her underwear.

As if on cue, the den-den mushi began to ring and Mihawk looked at it for a while, wondering whether or not he should answer. Shanks and the government were the only ones who had his number. He decided not to.

"Please answer," Sophie pleaded as Mihawk sighed, placed her down and picked up the transmitter.

* * *

Mihawk finished preparing his boat. He frowned as he got in and sailed towards Shanks' territory. He had thought it was awfully suspicious that Shanks decided to make the island closest to his, his territory. He had not known that Shanks had been planning to use him.

If he did not owe Shanks a favour, he would have refused to go protect the island from the pirates that had decided to wreak havoc. With his arms crossed, he thought of different ways to brutally murder them. He was not going to let them get away with just a slash of his sword.

He also needed food supplies for him and Yuki.

"Yuki Mihawk," Mihawk smiled as he got closer to his destination. He had missed saying her name, whispering it softly into her ear as she whispered his name into his own.

However, he could not simply ignore her peculiar behaviour. For breakfast, she had acted like she had never used chopsticks in all her life. What caught his attention was how she had not finished her Miso soup. Whether she was too full to have it, Yuki had never been one to return a bowl with Miso soup, yet she had done exactly that –not to mention she had left a generous amount as well.

Was she not feeling well by any chance?


	4. Day 3: Yuki Mihawk

It was already noon and her body was aching like hell. She had managed to clean the whole castle as well as get herself used to the different rooms. Though she had not known what the different foods were, she had managed to experiment and prepare edible meals for herself.

There was one room left to clean -the lounge. She walked in and noticed it was very dusty. Compared to all the other rooms in the house, it was the least used. Cobwebs were hanging in the corners of the walls and the bookshelf was untouched. A white book among the really dark ones caught her eye and she pulled it out, sneezing because of the dust. She rubbed it away and saw Dracule&Yuki engraved on the white book in a shiny writing.

Curiosity got the best of her and she opened to find herself wearing a wedding gown. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things. It was definitely her. The sleek black hair and pale green eyes; she even spotted the beauty spot just under her eye in the picture. How was this even possible?

She turned the page and saw Shanks wearing a straw hat, acting as the minister at their wedding, but she did not recall this ever happening.

"Maybe this is why he thinks I'm Yuki," Sophie thought to herself as she turned the next page. Mihawk looked so funny without his beard and moustache. He looked like a boy if anything. She continued flicking through the different pages, shocked with every picture there was.

Mihawk was laughing and acting like Shanks. They were both fooling around and being silly. She couldn't help but smile when she saw a picture of Mihawk trying to separate Shanks from Yuki. Now she could understand a little why Mihawk was always smiling at her. After all she was used to the stoic Mihawk who loved no one. How could he possibly not smile with Yuki by his side?

It took her some time to go through the whole book. Tired, she lay on the cold dark floor with the photo album close to her heart. Seeing all these pictures of Yuki and Mihawk made her miss home even more. Her mother always kept her wedding pictures hung around the house.

She wondered if her mother had been informed by the university that she had not attended the Applied Mathematics trip. It would be easier if they didn't, that way she could have a few more days without the agony Sophie was feeling at that moment.

* * *

When she opened her eyes again, it was already night. She looked at the album once again before she put it back where she had found it.

Being left alone in this massive house had taken its toll on her. She was homesick –her strict father's well being had brought her concern too. She had to find a way out, but how? It was not as if she could go on the internet and get information, nor could she ask her neighbours for it because she had neither. Her only source was Mihawk, and asking him would make her escape difficult. He was exceptionally intelligent and if she were to inquire from him, it would make it easier for him to hunt her down.

She mixed the rice in the pot and thought harder. Who could assist her? She knew how she was going to escape the island, but where to go from there was the issue. All she had to do was ask Mihawk to take her shopping. She would ask to separate for a while, hide and then ask for directions and transport to the important person's place.

_Dr. Vegapunk. _

She had not actually seen the man, but his name continued to echo on throughout One Piece. If anyone had the ability to help her, it was him. She could tell he was a nice man from what she had gathered and if he truly was a great scientist, how could he possibly turn down an opportunity to learn of another world other than their own? The fact that she knew some confidential information would make her story believable. After all, a selected few knew of the sea stone under the marine ships.

She put her food into a plate and began to eat it. A smile crossed her face. She knew she was going to be reunited with her family soon. She looked at her packet of pills that was on the table, next to the glass of water.

The sooner the better.


	5. Day 4: Mihawk returns

Mihawk finished placing all he had bought into his ship. The civilians kept a distance from him, like they always did, whilst the rest of the habitants cleaned away the blood that had been shed, carrying away the damaged bodies. Mihawk had made sure not to kill any of the pirates. He wanted them to suffer, to feel pain and to never do it again. This way he could deter the other pirates from doing the same -killing two birds with one stone.

An old man ran towards him with a den den mushi in his hand. Shaking, the man gave it to him and he took it. The man took a few steps back as Mihawk answered.

"MIHAWK!" a voice screamed from the other side of the receiver, "WHY IS THERE BLOOD ON MY BEAUTIFUL TERRITORY? THERE WERE CHILDREN WATCHING!"

Mihawk scoffed, "I did what you asked of me. If you have nothing more to say I'll be leaving."

He was about to cut the den den mushi when he stopped.

"Yuki's back," Mihawk said, which was followed by silence, "You should come visit her sometime."

He gave the den den mushi to the old man and sailed away before Shanks called back to ask some more questions.

Before long, his eyes were closed as he took another nap.

* * *

He opened the door to find Yuki mopping the floor in a silky kimono –her old silky kimono. He closed the door, dropped the groceries. Their eyes met. Her gaze was filled with sadness. All he ever wanted to see on her face was a smile, not the sad face she was wearing. He took a few strides and swept his wife off her feet and carried her towards their room.

"I missed you," he purred into her ear as he kissed her hungrily. She thought of ways to get him to stop.

"I need more clothes," she lied as he looked at her. A smile crossed his face as he kissed her again, "I never got rid of your clothes. They're in the wardrobe. Is that not where you got this kimono?"

She became visibly flashed as her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

"I haven't bathed yet," she lied again.

"Neither have I..."

The lie backfired. He decided to make a detour outdoors to where their hot spring was. He placed Sophie down as he began to remove his clothes.

"It's a beautiful day today isn't it?" Mihawk smiled as he looked her way. She looked up at the sky. It really was.

She could not, however, get over how exquisite the hot spring looked. Rocks were surrounding the top, with rose bushes covering it. There was a large golden candelabrum. She did not recall ever seeing this side of Mihawk's house.

Before she knew it, she was bought back to reality when she felt her kimono fall to the ground. She was about to cover herself when Mihawk turned away and walked towards the candelabrum, lighting up at the candles and throwing a few rose petals into the water.

Mihawk stretched out his hand. She looked at it with uncertainty before hesitantly taking it, cautiously getting into the water. As long as she sat as far away from him as possible, it was going to be just fine. Unfortunately for her, Mihawk pulled her down with him, placing her between his legs.

Her body screamed for an escape. She knew nothing good would come out of this.

She noticed he was beginning to grow suspicious. Reluctantly, she rested her head against his chest –surprised at how comfortable it was. However, it did not change the awkwardness of the situation as well as her physical discomfort.

They sat like that for a while as Mihawk told her stories, trying to get her to talk to him. He wanted to know everything she had been doing without him, but she remained silent for the most part.

She let out a suppressed squeal when she felt his erection against her back. She knew neither what to do, nor how to react. With her lips pressed together, she nervously played with the water.

"Is it to your liking?"

Sophie did not breathe a word. She couldn't.

"Something on your mind, Yuki?" Mihawk asked, "You have been awfully quiet all night."

Sophie turned round to speak but then caught eye of what was poking at her back only but a few seconds ago. She opened her mouth to speak, but for that moment, she had lost the ability to do so. The only thing she could think of was how enormous it was. And how it had the capacity to most certainly rip her apart.

Mistaking this for Yuki's way of making a move on him, he held her chin and met her in a kiss, his lips smiling from ear to ear. They were finally on the same page.

Excuses suddenly flooded her mind. Maybe she could lie she needed the toilet. Just as she was about to, Mihawk began to suck on her lower lip, earning himself a soft moan from her.

Still kissing her, he moved her body towards him. As he moved to her neck, her legs tightened around his waist. He ran his hand through her hair as he bit her neck softly.

Her hands were now wrapped around his body, her mind obscured by lust; her relatively good judgement clouded by lecherous thoughts she did not know she was capable of thinking.

"It's hot...I need to get out now," Sophie breathed, her last attempt to put a stop to the inevitable.

Holding her close, Mihawk stood up and laid her on the ground beside the hot spring, using his clothes and her kimono to work as a barrier between her and the cold hard ground.

She let out a sigh of relief. It was finally over. As she prepared to get up from where she lay, she felt Mihawk's weight on her.

His hand touch her sweet spot as she faced the other side, feeling rather violated if anything. Consented rape. Was there even such a thing?

"You're beautiful," she heard Mihawk murmur as his mouth latched onto her mound and sucked it senseless.

His thumb gently caressed her nipple as his tongue worked on the other. She ran her hand through his hair, her body aching with what she could only describe as raw pleasure. _  
_

"Yuki?"

Sophie answered breathlessly as she looked at him.

"When did you get your navel pierced?"

She could not let him know she was really not Yuki. Gathering all the strength she had, she moved in for a kiss. Mihawk just shook his head and closed his eyes, awaiting her kiss.

She also closed and ended up banging her head into his. Both of them rubbing their foreheads, they looked at each other awkwardly. She hid her face from him as he let out a chuckle, telling her she could give it another go. She had never felt so embarrassed in all her life. And it was not like he was any guy. This was _the_ Mihawk every guy aspired to be and every girl fawned over. She had made a fool of herself.

Hesitantly, she moved in for yet another kiss.

"Let me," he smiled as he kissed her instead.

All her worries melted away at his touch. She let him do as he willed with her. Her body hungered for him. A complete stranger.

Sophie gulped. This was getting dangerous.

She looked at the burning candles as the warm twilight breeze brushed against her naked body. So, this was it then. Not that she could complain. Everything about the night was perfect. Except her skills in the art of love making.

Her eyes closed as she writhed underneath him, longing for him to stop teasing her so. She felt so helpless. He was composed and knew what he was doing. He had probably done this many times before. And her only experience had been with a few men she could count in one hand.

She looked in Mihawk's direction as she felt a beating heart. It was Mihawk's. He had taken her hand and placed it over the left side of his chest. It was beating harder than her own.

"I'm nervous," he whispered, the smile no longer visible, "it really has been a while."

Not knowing what to say, she just nodded slowly.

"Me too..."

"I love you, Yuki." Mihawk's smile returned as Sophie felt something breach her entrance. After giving it some though, she opened her legs a little wider to give him better access, "I love you so much."


	6. Day 5: The awkward morning after

She woke up to find herself leisurely lying on top of Mihawk. Her head was in the crook of his head, her arms unattractively thrown at both sides of him and her legs wide open. Hoping he was asleep, she began to put herself in a much more ladylike posture when she was startled by Mihawk asking if she was awake. Quickly, she removed herself from him, turned to the other side of the bed and answered with a quiet yes.

He pulled her closer and turned her to face him before his eye wandered to her hand. He grabbed hold of it and raised it to his eyes before smiling at her.

"You still have this." He looked into her eyes questioningly. After all these years, she had never stopped loving him. Not even once. "Remember how we were so poor, I bought you this silver ring and promised you that one day I would get you a beautiful diamond ring."

Sophie nodded and forced a laugh, "how could I ever forget!?"

"'A diamond the size of my fist' you said," Mihawk continued, "until I actually did get it for you..."

"..."

"I like it better when you tell this part Yuki; do the face you did when I showed you that diamond ring," Mihawk smiled as he waited in anticipation.

Sophie looked at Mihawk, completely clueless as well as a little scared. Her lies had finally caught up with her. She didn't know how to react when Mihawk began laughing, but relief washed over her when she heard him say, "Nailed it! You then gave me that little speech, remember?"

Sophie made sure not to nod, but just smile, in case he asked her to repeat it for him.

"You said that the ring was growing on you. That it had some sentimental value to you, because it reminded you of where we were coming from," she watched as Mihawk smiled as he reminisced on his past with Yuki. She sounded like an amazing woman. A woman Sophie felt she could not compete with.

Mihawk picked up his hat as he looked at her excitedly, "You then bought me this hat with the money from the ring because I was a jealous drunk back then. Remember how I would always get into pointless fights with Shanks because of his straw hat."

"Yeah," Sophie nodded, touched by his story. The wedding pictures all made sense to her after she had heard the story. There had been a couple of pictures with Mihawk wearing a straw hat and most of the pictures that had Shanks and Yuki in them, usually had Mihawk trying to separate them from each other.

"So this is Mihawk prior One Piece then," Sophie thought to herself as he took the opportunity to steal a kiss from her lips, "How about a repetition of last night?"

Sophie flashed. She had forgotten all about what had happened. Well, she had tried at least. Unfortunately, her flesh remembered vividly just where his hands and lips had touched and the images of the night before were etched in her mind so that she could never forget.

"Breakfast first," Sophie said. She did not think she could get used to it. They had hardly slept the night before because Mihawk insisted on continuing each time he finished catching his breath. Sophie had endured, but she did not have to stand up to know that she was not going to be walking anywhere for a while.

Their eyes met and she quickly looked aside. His eyes were a constant reminder of how she was now a woman in more ways than one. She watched as Mihawk wore his clothes, "as you wish m'lady."

She slammed her head into the pillow a few times when Mihawk had left the room. She was deceiving him, leading him on to believe that she was someone she really wasn't. He was annoyingly love struck on this Yuki. She did not think that there was a way she could get used to this overly loving and dotty husband.

"But it's his fault," she growled as she looked out the window. She grabbed the pillow and hugged it. She had to leave. She had to go find Dr. Vegapunk.

Mihawk walked into their bedroom, he was holding their food in one hand and the den-den mushi in the other, somehow.

She had thought he would make a big meal for them like he always did, but it was rather light.

"See you tomorrow then," Mihawk finally said before placing the food down and putting away the transponder snail. Sophie was about to eat when Mihawk sat by her side and pulled her into an embrace.

"I am going to..." Mihawk whispered, finishing the rest of the sentence into her ear. Sophie felt a blush as she looked away.

"Is that even…physically possible?" she asked, trying not to make eye contact.

He pulled her into the sheets and laughed, "We'll have to find out."


	7. Day 6: Red Haired Shanks

Sophie yawned as she woke up from her sleep. It was already mid-day. Just how long had she been sleeping for. She noticed that Mihawk was not by her side and quite frankly she did not care. It was, after all, Mihawk's fault that she woke up so late. Stretching her arms she looked out the window. Like always, it was a gloomy day, but she could not think of a better place for the aloof man.

What did she need again? Her eyes widened. Her pill. She had forgotten to take it, but she hadn't eaten, so it was still fine. Quickly she rampaged through her belongings searching for it. She looked at the few packets that remained. They were so dangerously low. Something had to be done. Or else.

After returning from her shower she spotted a note by her bedside. It was from Mihawk. She had probably missed it earlier. She smiled as she looked at it. Mihawk's handwriting was just how she had imagined it to be. So refined and sophisticated. He had gone to get Shanks from the and the both of them were going to then go training for a while and return later.

Red haired Shanks. Sophie could not help but wonder what he was like. After all, she had always fantasized of how Shanks would be like towards her, but now she could know. She smiled at herself. It was like a dream come true.

She waltzed round the kitchen, preparing food for Mihawk and Shanks. There was nothing more in the world she wanted, than to have Shanks taste her cooking. She dipped her wooden spoon into the soup and tasted it. It was not as good as Mihawk's, but it was good nonetheless. Thanks to Mihawk's shopping from earlier, she had all the groceries she needed and many of the ingredients looked very familiar.

What was Shanks going to be like? She could not get the thought out of her mind. He was handsome. That much was indisputable. She slapped both cheeks with her hands, sandwiching her face in her palms as she shook her head. She was Mihawk's wife now. Such thoughts were not right. She was going to act completely indifferent to Shanks. Like Yuki would have. It was clear she had no feelings for him in the pictures and neither did he. She looked at the silver ring on her finger. To be honest, it had been from a cheap store near her university and she had just worn it on a whim. It held no significance, yet now it was a symbol of her loyalty to Mihawk.

"Get a grip of yourself!" she told herself as she heard some laughter from behind her. Followed by controlled panting. Her body continued to tell her not to turn, but curiosity got the best of her.

"It's been a while Yu."

She smiled in reply. She knew full well that if she had spoken, it would have been in an octave not reachable by any human or animal as a matter of fact. He was covered in sweat, his shirt in hand and his chest….she could not even think of the word. She turned and mixed the soup some more, feeling her smile growing wider.

"Act indifferent," she told herself as she opened the oven. The potatoes were nearly done and were smelling good too. She closed it and turned to find Shanks only a few inches away from her with a large grin on his face, his eyes staring at the pot behind her.

"What are you cooking?"

His presence was overwhelming. His eyes mesmerizing. She knew if she stared into them for too long, things could turn ugly. She would end up saying something she'd regret.

"I missed you," he smiled as he reached for her hand and softly kissed it.

"Get your own wife," Mihawk growled as he walked into the kitchen.

He too wore no shirt. She swallowed back her drool. For a second Shanks stared at Sophie with a straight face and then smiled, still looking straight into her eyes.

"Actually, I met this incredibly beautiful woman the other day," Shanks said as he briefly looked at Mihawk and then back at Sophie, "Might just make her my wife."

Sophie frowned. Why was he looking at her so intensely? Did he want some kind of reaction out of her?

Think. Think! What sort of thing would a friend say in a situation like this?

"Well, congratulations," she smiled, "Here I was thinking you'd never marry."

Shit! That was not what she was meant to say. Of course Shanks never married this girl he is talking about because in the future he was still single. Such cruel words she had chosen.

Mihawk laughed and Shanks joined in, though Sophie could sense his laugh was not sincere. She had been right. Her words were not the ones he had been looking for. They both stopped laughing. Mihawk entered the pantry as Sophie turned to look at Shanks. He had a sad look on his face. She looked at the ground when he caught her looking at her. Only to feel herself in his embrace, "I really did miss you."

It was short….and tight. It was filled with so many mixed emotions Sophie did not know what to think of it. She gave Shanks a small smile and walked towards the oven. Either way, her heart was beating so hard she feared it would crush against her ribcage and beat its way out her chest.

"Do you need any h–"

"No! No thank you," She said. Why had she shouted? Why was she so on edge?

Mihawk walked out with some sake and it seems Shanks quickly forgot about it all because he had walked over to Mihawk and was talking to him about the origin of it.

She took the time to begin setting up the table in the dining room. Mihawk had such great taste.

She could not help but be impressed. There were chandeliers hanging down and the deco in the room looked priceless if anything. The candelabrum that was in the middle of the table was a perfect touch. It'd be nice if one day she could have a meal with Mihawk with the candles…with Mihawk? How long did she plan on staying there? She wanted to leave and there was nothing that was going to stop her, yet she was now planning her future. She could not afford to think such thoughts.

* * *

"That was delicious," Mihawk said as he swirled his wine and sipped.

Shanks chugged down some sake, his cup banging against the table as he grinned at Sophie, "Your cooking has improved Yu. One day you're going to make someone a happy husband."

Mihawk did not take the comment lightly and before long, the two of them were bickering amongst themselves.

Clearing his throat, Mihawk decided to be the bigger man as of usual and asked a question that caused Shanks to freeze for only a second. Or had Sophie imagined it, "Tell us more of this girlfriend of yours. Why is this my first time hearing of her, seeing you seem quite certain that she is the one?"

Shanks looked at Sophie and Sophie smiled. There was that look again. Like he was expecting her to react a certain way. Did Yuki have some sort of facial expression she made in times like these? It had been years since they had last met. People change. She could use that as an excuse if he were to confront her about it.

"This food is delicious Yu," Shanks said, cutting his roast as he spoke.

Sophie smiled.

She was clearly over-thinking things. How could she forget that Shanks was just like Luffy. They both had one track minds and had such purity in what they did. Well, she didn't know how much applied to Shanks, but she decided to stop reading him like she knew him and literally take everything as it really was.

That way it would make life easier for her.

"Thank you."

Her cheeks began to burn. She knew the feeling too well. She was blushing. She held her face in her hands, hoping no one would ask her why. Shanks and Mihawk continued in conversation, not even noticing her peculiar behaviour. Or so she thought. The moment she raised her head, she noticed Mihawk looking straight at her. His face wore no expression, making it hard for her to know what he was thinking. He looked away and continued on speaking with Shanks.

She let out a quiet sigh. There was a possibility he had not even noticed.

She decided to listen in on their conversation, hoping to get in a word or two. The last thing she wanted was for them to notice her silence.

They both looked so serious. It was hard for her to believe that these very same men were indulging in childish bickering only but a few seconds ago.

She managed to listen for the most part, attentively staring at Shanks. Her eyes lowered to his lips. The way they moved as he spoke was hypnotizing. Though the new World Government policies did not interest Sophie in the slightest. But the perfect form of his lips did. She could also attest to the fact that they were soft. Not as soft as those of Mihawk, but they were soft still.

And his hair. Oh his hair. It was like silky red strings were draping his prefect head. Why couldn't such perfection exist in the real world?

"Yuki?"

"Oh sorry, yes," Sophie smiled as she looked at Mihawk. His eyes were so scrutinizing, piercing through her as if it were reading her very soul.

"You have been staring at Shanks for a while now," he smiled, "Are you lost in thought?"

Sophie nodded. It was great he had come up with an excuse for her.

"Care to share?"

It was too late. Her face was so red even if she covered it, they all would have seen.

She dared look at Shanks and he looked pale, petrified even.

"It is something I could not possibly say in front of…Shanks, darling."

Darling? Who says darling! Did Yuki even call him darling?

"Of course….darling," Mihawk smirked, was he mocking her?

"You can always tell me later. Perhaps show me?" Mihawk added.

"Excuse me," Shanks said as he walked out the room.

"That was rather odd," Mihawk smiled, "I wonder what made him so pale."

Confused too, Sophie agreed. Sophie yawned.

"Tired? You can go take a quick nap. Shanks and I will take care of everything. He hasn't been quite himself today, would it be okay with you if I speak to him alone. He really missed you when you were…gone. I don't blame him. He has known you much longer than I have."

Mihawk walked up and placed a kiss on Sophie's forehead, "It just occurred to me that if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have met."

He stared at her for a while before cupping her cheek and kissing her lips softly, his kiss deepening.

They heard a chair pull back. Shanks had returned and had resumed eating like before. Mihawk had been right, Shanks was not himself.

"I'm going to take a short nap," Sophie smiled. Shanks looked up at her and grinned, before his eyes lowered back to the food, his expression sombre.

She gave Mihawk a nod and walked away.

* * *

Panting she woke up. Her body sweating. She wondered how long Shanks was going to be there for. Even though it had been less than a day. His presence there was taking its toll on her. And now he was appearing in her dreams. She sighed as she looked out the window. It was raining. Like the night she came, probably even worse. Hailstone crushed against the windows. It was dark. It seems her nap had gone on longer than anticipated. Her stomach growled and she held it, hoping Mihawk had not heard. Turning she found him fast asleep. He looked so peaceful and harmless. Almost like a baby. Her stomach growled once more and she left for the kitchen. She hoped they had left her something for dinner.

To her disappointment, there were empty bottles of sake and wine everywhere.

"Yu? Is that you?"

Sophie followed the voice and found Shanks sitting in the dinning room with a glass of sake in front of him.

"Shanks…"

It was all so surreal, Shanks being there and her sleeping by Mihawk's side each night. If she wasn't the luckiest girl in the world, she seriously didn't know who was.

He let out a low and short laugh before turning to face her. He was speaking to her, but she could not hear a word he was saying. She just stared into his eyes, fantasizing of what could be.

"You did come!" He beamed, his words hushed that Mihawk would not hear. He closed the gap between them and hugged her tightly. He was so warm, so soft, unlike Mihawk whose muscles tensed under her touch. As she stood there, her body comfortable in their embrace, her mind caught up with her sense. WHY was Shanks hugging the supposed wife of his best friend in the middle of the night? But that was not it. He had been waiting there, certain she would come.

"Yu," He whispered into her ear. Sophie looked at him. They must have been close, since Shanks even had a special name for her. One Mihawk did not even use, "I missed you."

"You couldn't be dead, I knew it." Then something happened Sophie could not begin to comprehend nor wrap her mind around. Shanks kissed her. It was short, sweet, desperate. Desperate for her? What was going on here? This Yuki was married to Mihawk, wasn't she?

It had been natural too, he had not hesitated. Like he knew she was going to reciprocate his feelings.

Her puzzlement must have shown, for Shanks pulled away.

"Mihawk told me you have been distant…You are leaving him for real this time, aren't you?" His eyes were pleading with her, "Please…"

_You're leaving him for real? This time? So there had been another time?_

There was some movement in the kitchen as Shanks placed his hands on her arms. His soul addressing her soul as they stood there in the darkness of the night.

"Please."

* * *

Please don't be a silent reader :'( Tell me what you guys think so far. This is my first non-yaoi fic as well so any tips and suggestions will be kindly welcomed.


	8. Day 7: The Warning

Shanks ate in silence and in turn, everyone too ate in silence. Sophie kept on glancing his way, hoping he would give her a smile or even the slightest of nods, but that was not the case.

He looked at Mihawk instead and grinned, "Thank you for the meal. I wish I could stay here longer seeing…Yu is back, but I have an urgent matter that needs addressing."

"I'm sure Benn can handle it," he turned and looked at Sophie, "Yuki has looked her happiest ever since you came, like she always did back then."

_Back then?_

After the night before, Sophie was certain that Yuki and Shanks had been sleeping together behind Mihawk's back, but as meticulous and vigilant as Mihawk was, she did not understand why he had not picked up on it. Sophie looked at Shanks, who now was looking back at her. He had explained everything to her.

She faced Mihawk instead, wondering what he would do if he found out. She had sworn her secrecy so that in turn Shanks would remain silent about her true identity.

Dr. Vegapunk. She clenched her teeth at the news. Shanks had told her he was in the North blue conducting a rather lengthy experiment, which was going to take him about three months, tops. She did not have that much time though. Her pills were running out and if they were to finish whilst she was in this world…

A hand touched her head. She looked up and found Shanks smiling at her, "I hope you get what you want Yu. Don't forget-"

He choked on his words and remained silent, regaining his composure, "Don't forget I'll always be here for you."

He was now looking at Mihawk, his voice sardonic, "If you ever get bored of that prude over there, I will welcome you with open arms."

"You don't know when to quit do you?" Mihawk growled as Shanks chuckled. Mihawk looked at Sophie. It was that look again. He had a stoic expression as he scrutinized Sophie's expression. This time it was different than the last. He stared at her for longer until Shanks leaned in his line of sight.

"Yu had a hard time away from you. I don't think it's wise of you to over-analyse every peculiar thing she does. "

"You know?" Mihawk remained unfazed, though I could feel his emotions through his speech and tone. He was curious. Those two words had made sense to Shanks somehow.

"No," this was followed by Shanks laughing, "It's just an assumption. Well, I best be off. Mihawk, help me take the sake to the harbour. My crew will be here soon. You can tag along, Yu."

"Its fine," Sophie replied, "I'll stay here and clear the table instead."

He looked at her and smiled, "Very well. It's probably for the best. But I am not leaving without you saying goodbye."

He winked and made his way to the harbour with Mihawk as Sophie cleared everything.

Sophie's chest was tight with emotion as she remembered what he had told her. The intenseness of their conversation just a few hours ago and the tears that were shed, she could not even tell who loved Yuki better –Mihawk or Shanks?

* * *

"Sophie Larson," Shanks smiled as he looked at Sophie, "It truly was a pleasure to meet you."

Sophie smiled at Shanks, "Likewise."

"Take good care of Mihawk for me."

Sophie frowned. Underneath it all, Shanks was a good man. In everything he did, he was always trying to put Mihawk first. Though Yuki had been the one thing he just could not let go off. It made Sophie want to meet this Yuki so badly. She wanted to see the woman that was able to make Mihawk fall head over heels as well as make the most honest of men cast aside his moral standings. She was a force to be reckoned with.

"I will try," Sophie replied.

He held Sophie in a long embrace before letting her go, "If I don't go to the ship right now, a fight might break out. Let's just say Mihawk and Yasopp's personalities don't exactly go hand in hand. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask me."

He was walking through the door when he came to an abrupt stop, "You have been able to fool Mihawk till now, but sooner or later he is going to find out. He might as well have found out but he doubts his thoughts. You may look like Yu, but your personalities are completely different. Mihawk will not take it lightly once he finds out you are not Yu. That is just the way he is. He might even kill you for impersonating her. Be careful."

Sophie swallowed hard and nodded. She had not thought that far.

What would happen if Mihawk found out she really wasn't Yuki?

* * *

Guys, this is my last update for the year. Gonna take a break relaxing, but will be writing more chapters during the Christmas holiday then will start uploading again no later than Sunday the 12th of January.

Next chapter will be on Shanks and Sophie.


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